Direct sunlight = photosynthesis usually a good thing in plants
Particularly herbs which tend to have developed their flavour as a defence mechanism where water is in short supply (most herbs are Mediterranean or further south in origin)

Incidentally supermarket herbs are usually planted ridiculously thickly in order to give a "lush" look to the pot. Get 3 more pots and separate the contents of your pot into 4 , put the resultant bundle in the new pots with fresh compost, water in heavily and stand near the window.

I have had the same problem, especially with coriander from Tescos. I bought it as it was cheaper than the cut stuff and figured I'd be able to grow it. It didn't..
But then, one pot (granted it was parsley-don't know if this made a difference) got knocked over and all the soil fell out. So I repotted it and started to give it some tomato liquid food.
And it started to grow, its outside now, and thriving.
try the tomato food, but I think coriander and basil from tescos can be a lil sensitive to our Irish weather

I have had the same problem, especially with coriander from Tescos. I bought it as it was cheaper than the cut stuff and figured I'd be able to grow it. It didn't..
But then, one pot (granted it was parsley-don't know if this made a difference) got knocked over and all the soil fell out. So I repotted it and started to give it some tomato liquid food.
And it started to grow, its outside now, and thriving.
try the tomato food, but I think coriander and basil from tescos can be a lil sensitive to our Irish weather

Basil in Tesco is usually chill damaged because some bright spark decided to store the growing plant in the fridge out back.

The compost has limited nutrtion so you need to pot up and feed as you have done for all the growing herbs. Basil loves tomato feed thats why some old time gardeners recommend growing it at the base of tomato plants if you have limited space.

Basil in Tesco is usually chill damaged because some bright spark decided to store the growing plant in the fridge out back.

I'm not sure they leave it in the fridge per se, but I've noticed that basil plants bought during the recent cold spell were slightly frost damaged on the supermarket shelf already and haven't lasted at all. I suspect they were just left outside for hours in sub-zero temps on the pallets they arrived in.

Quote:

The compost has limited nutrtion so you need to pot up and feed as you have done for all the growing herbs. Basil loves tomato feed thats why some old time gardeners recommend growing it at the base of tomato plants if you have limited space.

+1. I had a Tesco basil plant during the summer that lasted for months on end and I fed it with tomato fertilizer.

If you want it to last, it's also important how you harvest it. Don't cut whole stems off from the bottom, but pinch off the leaves just above a place where new shoots are sprouting out in the gap between the leaf stems and the main plant stem. These small shoots will then grow to form two new stronger shoots.

Re-Pot them when you get them home,into something much bigger with lots of compost.
Those herbs are nearly always rootbound by the time they come for sale and wont last long without enough nutrients and space.

Very interesing. Thanks folks. I noticed this aswell i thought it was me.

So split the pot in 2 and compost second pot...

Get something like a 6' plastic pot,put a few pebbles in the bottom for drainage..put your herb in(along with the soil on the roots) and pack fresh compost around the plant.
Give it a good drink and it should start to grow vigourously in a short time.

Ideally you should transplant herbs into the garden if you can,the likes of rosemary will grow into a large busy shrub within a couple of years.

I have found that if you repot, then cut all the top growth off when it starts to wilt, (as in, you will have used it) it will regrow with much healthier and long lasting growth - basil and parsley anyway.

It is only supposed to last long enough to harvest, it is both overcrowded and forced so it is very fragile. The plants and flowers in supermarkets have to deal with a lot of neglect/inexpert handling.

I found that lettuce that grows from a little block of compost and you keep it in a little water is very good.